Breakfast links: Make taxicabs great again

Overhaul of the taxicab overhaul

Three years after an expensive effort to modernize DC’s taxi fleet, the Department of For-Hire Vehicles is once again trying to push cabs to keep up with the times by deregulating and moving to meters that integrate with apps. (WAMU)

Apartments are shrinking

The average square footage of Washington area apartments has shrunk by about 90 square feet over the last 6 years. One reason could be the increase in studio and one bedroom units in new developments. (UrbanTurf)

New proposal for paid leave

DC universities and the Chamber of Commerce are on-board for paid family leave, but they want it limited to eight weeks instead of the 16 the original DC Council bill proposed. (WAMU)

Adjacent states worlds apart in business

Virginia is the ninth best state to start a business in, while Maryland comes in at number 45. Why the disparity? The study cites Virginia’s high education levels and Maryland’s high cost of living.  (WBJ)

TOPA-turvy in Chinatown

In 2013, a developer in Chinatown overestimated the value of its public housing property in order to keep tenants from purchasing their homes. The tenants sued, and the DC Courts have now ruled twice that the developer didn’t make a good faith effort to sell to tenants. (WAMU)

Elevator downer

No one is making it to the top of the Washington Monument anytime soon. After persistent elevator mechanical issues, the National Park Service has closed the interior indefinitely as they modernize the system. (WAMU)

The cool down begins

We’ve (probably) seen the last of the summer weather. The Capital Weather Gang thinks we hit 90 for the last time in 2016 last Friday. (Post)

Peds on the Seine

Over two miles of roadway along the Seine River in Paris will now be car free. Opponents say the move will increase traffic and pollution. (Next City)

London’s housing solution

The mayor of London has an ambitious plan to create more affordable housing in the notoriously expensive city: tie prices to income, rather than market value. But who will create the supply for the demand? (CityLab)